


cultural differences

by kontent



Series: hand in hand [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Attraction, Cultural Differences, Fae & Fairies, Fae Angus MacGyver, Fake Science, Gen, Human Jack Dalton, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 16:18:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19406902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kontent/pseuds/kontent
Summary: The air behind them moves minutely with the flutter of Mac’s wings.Jack bites the words back, but eventually they just spill out. “Okay, but… what’s the deal with wings? Is it like, forbidden to touch them?”Mac blinks at him as if he’s totally surprised by the question. Then something strange happens - his face starts heating up, his cheeks blushing a little. “Yeah, uhm… not exactly?”





	cultural differences

**Author's Note:**

> The Mac/Jack is like, barely hinted at. But it is where this whole series is going, so I'm tagging it in the fics where Jack is already feeling the attraction to Mac.

Mac finishes whatever he’s doing with the evidence, jumping up to sit on the workbench. “Now we wait until the analysis is done.” Jack nods, settling down next to him. He keeps a professional distance, but the air behind them moves minutely with the flutter of Mac’s wings. 

Jack bites the words back, but eventually they just spill out. “Okay, but… what’s the deal with wings? Is it like, forbidden to touch them?”

Mac blinks at him as if he’s totally surprised by the question. Then something strange happens - his face starts heating up, his cheeks blushing a little. “Yeah, uhm… not exactly?”

That’s entirely unhelpful, and so Jack is stuck between wanting to ask again and not wanting to overstep. His curious nature wins. He wrings his hands, feeling a little self-conscious.

“I mean… I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, you know? Just, nobody said it was, but at the same time I don’t really ever see people touch each other’s wings, and I don’t know. I’m curious.” He shrugs. “But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s cool too. Figured I’d just ask.”

In all honesty, Jack feels like he might die if he doesn’t get an answer to this question. He wants to _know_ , there are so many things he wants to ask Mac about fairy anatomy, but he doesn’t dare to. Maybe he will ask him after this assignment. Or never. 

Mac nods, seemingly considering something. Then he sighs. “Well, might as well tell you.”

Jack sits up, suddenly buzzing with energy. “Really?” He can only imagine his face is lighting up with the prospect of knowing. He must look like an over-eager puppy.

Mac huffs, his face splitting into a grin. “Yeah.”

He doesn’t continue and Jack just sits there, staring at him. Mac stares back, his blue eyes amused. His dimple distracts Jack for a split second, but the information he was promised is more interesting. When Mac doesn’t say anything, Jack throws his hands in the air in mock frustration. 

“Come on, man! You said you’d tell me!”

Mac laughs and the sound cuts down to Jack’s bones. It’s a soft laugh, but pure amusement. It’s beautiful. “Yeah, yeah.” 

He smirks, his just a little too sharp teeth flashing at Jack. When he smiles like that, he reminds Jack of a shark, danger hidden behind a pretty face. It shouldn’t be as attractive as it is.

“No, it’s not forbidden to touch people’s wings. But it’s also not very common to do so in public. The only people who touch your wings are usually family or close friends. Or lovers.”

Mac watches him carefully, as Jack processes this. The human knows this but he lets him - it’s only fair, he thinks. He’s been staring at Mac for days. “Huh. Okay, that explains why I haven’t seen anyone touch wings, but… why?”

Mac blinks and tips his head to the side. “Why what?”

“Why do only family, lovers or friends touch your wings?”

Mac smiles, carefully, no teeth this time. “You think of wings as you think of arms or legs, right? You think of them as limbs.”

Jack mulls this over and then he nods. “Are they not?”

Mac shrugs. “They are, but also not really. It’s like… touching someone’s face maybe? In the human world?”

Jack frowns at that. Then he considers it. Sure, he wouldn’t take affront to someone touching his arm, but he wouldn’t let just anyone touch his face. His mother used to kiss his forehead, and his brothers used to pinch his cheeks. He was never bothered by this - but he remembers that he really hated it when some distant relative or a family friend of his parents did that. It felt intrusive. Weird. Like they were invading his bubble.

So yeah, he kind of figures that makes sense. He tells Mac that and the other man smiles. “I mean, if you accidentally run into someone and brush their wings, it’s usually not that big of a deal. It happens. But really touching someone’s wings without permission is not a good idea.”

Jack nods, even though he’s a little sad about it. So he probably won’t get to touch wings any time soon. Mac keeps looking at him, but if he notices Jack’s slight disappointment, he doesn’t say anything about it. Jack isn’t sure what he’d even say if Mac addressed it.

Somewhere behind them, a machine begins beeping, a weird high sound that feels almost uncomfortable to Jack. Mac winces and jumps off the table to go shut it off. Jack watches him, noting the way his wings seem a little jumpier than usual. But he doesn’t say anything about it, either.


End file.
